Half time at the Meazza and we're 2-0 in front thanks to goals from Adriano and Stankovic.

45' /

Massimo Ambrosini gets a yellow card for tripping Maicon on the halfway line.

45' /

One minute of added time.

43' /

GOAL!!!!!! Dejan Stankovic makes amends for his earlier mistake with a splendid goal - his fifth in Serie A this term. The Serbian runs on to Ibrahimovic's headed assist and smacks first time past a hapless Abbiati. INTER 2-0 AC MILAN.

42' /

Pato controls with his chest Ronaldinho's pass into the box and finds the side-netting with an angled shot on the turn.

41' /

Abbiati gets down low to his right to keep out Adriano's long-range effort.

37' /

Maicon shoots wide after a 30-yard run to the edge of the area.

35' /

Seedorf's shot takes a deflection off Chivu and AC Milan win their first corner. It is taken by Beckham and saved by Julio Cesar.

GOAL!!!!! Maicon delivers an inch-perfect cross from the right and Adriano is on hand to head past Abbiati. INTER 1-0 AC MILAN.

28' /

Seedorf unleashes a right-footer about thirty yards from goal. It sails over Julio Cesar's bar.

26' /

Samuel cuts out Zambrotta's cut-back for Pato as Milan continue to apply the pressure.

22' /

Ronaldinho has sparked the Rossoneri into life. He sets up Pato whose first-time shot takes a deflection off Santon, forcing a reflex save from Julio Cesar.

20' /

A opening for AC at the other end as Ronaldinho serves Pato but the angle proves too tight for the Brazilian youngster.

18' /

Incredible miss by Stankovic. Ibrahimovic plays in Cambiasso with a delightful back-heeled pass and the Argentine crosses for Stankovic who has the goal gaping, but Ambrosini somehow gets back to make the interception.

17' /

Jankulovski swings in a cross from the left. Pato's header is high and wide.

13' /

Ibrahimovic chests into the path of Stankovic and the Serbian plays short to Muntari, who rifles wide.

11' /

Adriano rises at the far post and heads wide Maicon's corner kick.

10' /

Another corner for the Nerazzurri as Pirlo intercepts Ibrahimovic on the left wing.

9' /

Adriano wins us the first corner of the match. Abbiati's punched clearance from Cambiasso's right-wing cross falls to Muntari, who blazes over from 20 metres.

8' /

Back in the Milan half, Seedorf blocks a Maicon free kick and sets up a counter-attack. Pato races forward but Zanetti gets back to make the tackle.

7' /

Walter Samuel makes a headed clearance from a trademark David Beckham cross.

7' /

Zambrotta tests Julio Cesar with an overhead kick after Jankulovski's cross from the left.

6' /

Tempers flare after a challenge from behind by Muntari on Beckham. Rosetti intervenes to calm things down.

5' /

Play is interrupted as the firefighters come on to the pitch to extinguish a flare.

3' /

Muntari gets back and wins the ball off Pato after a mazy run down the right by the Brazilian.

1' /

Welcome to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan's San Siro district for Derby Day. From Mourinho and Beckham to Maldini and Santon, just to name a few, this one has all the ingredients of a classic encounter.

1' /

A win tonight will give us a massive 11-point lead over our city rivals, and a 9-point lead over Juventus who drew 1-1 at home to Sampdoria earlier today.

1' /

It's standing room only at the Meazza, with a sell-out 80,000 crowd, 500 accredited journalists, and 32 television stations from 66 countries showing the match live.

1' /

Tonight's clash sees the two best attacks in Serie A go head to head: Inter and AC Milan are top of the pops with 40 goals apiece. Ibrahimovic is the Nerazzurri's top scorer with 14 league goals, while AC's number one marksman this season is Kaka with 11.

1' /

Defending Italian champions Inter also have the best defence after 23 rounds of matches. Mourinho's men have conceded just 16 goals, 7 fewer than the Rossoneri.

1' /

AC Milan beat us 1-0 in the reverse fixture last September, Ronaldinho scoring the only goal of the game for Carlo Ancelotti's side. The Rossoneri coach makes just two changes to that derby-winning team, with Pirlo and Beckham in for Kaka and Gattuso.

1' /

Mourinho, who opted for a 4-3-1-2 in September, goes for the same system again tonight but makes five changes as Burdisso and Vieira go on the bench and Materazzi and Mancini in the stands. Quaresma, of course, is on loan at Chelsea.

report

MILAN - Adriano and Dejan Stankovic scored first-half goals to give Inter victory in the 270th Milan derby as José Mourinho's men defended doggedly after Pato reduced the arrears to set up a thrilling finale.

The result sees the Nerazzurri increase their lead over second-placed Juventus to nine points, and open up a massive eleven-point gap over their city rivals.

The eagerly-awaited derby sprang to life in the 18th minute when Ibrahimovic played in Cambiasso and the Argentine swung in a cross for Stankovic who hesitated before shooting, allowing Ambrosini to make a last-gasp interception.

Ronaldinho, scorer of the winner in the reverse fixture last September, showed he relishes Milan derbies, twice setting up Pato whose second effort took a deflection off Santon, forcing Julio Cesar into a difficult save.

Inter soaked up a period of Rossoneri pressure and delivered the perfect reply inside the half hour when Maicon's pinpoint delivery from the right was headed home by Adriano.

Stankovic made amends for his earlier miss just before the break to put Inter firmly in control, firing first time past Abbiati after a headed assist from Ibrahimovic.

Adriano had a chance to wrap up the points seconds after the restart but he stroked his shot wide with just Abbiati to beat.

The Rossoneri keeper then said no to Ibrahimovic with terrific one-handed save, with Adriano hooking behind his spectacular shot from the resulting corner as Inter continued to have the upper hand.

But Milan rallied and set up a dramatic finale when Pato sidefooted home Jankulovski's pull-back from Ronaldinho's pass in the 71st minute.

Adriano had a further chance to kill off the game but was denied by Abbiati after shaking off a challenge from derby veteran Maldini.

Inter endured sustained pressure as Filippo Inzaghi saw plenty of action after coming on for derby debutant David Beckham. The Italian volleyed home Pato's cross, only for the offside flag to go up, and was caught offside again minutes later when he headed over Zambrotta's delivery.

Inzaghi went closest in time added on with a low shot that Julio Cesar saved with the tip of his toe.